Souls of Aredyrah 3 - The Taking of the Dawn (51 page)

Haskel knelt on the other side of Dayn. He
pulled a flask from his jacket and held it to Dayn’s lips. “Here,
drink,” he said. “It’ll help ease the pain.”

Dayn did not bother to ask what the flask
contained. He took it in his shaking hand and gulped the contents
down.

He handed the flask back to Haskel. Haskel
eyed its empty contents. “Well, that should do it,” he said with
amusement.

The alcohol immediately warmed Dayn’s veins.
His limbs began to relax. “Might as well get on with it,” he said
to Alicine.

Alicine began to gently work a boot from his
foot. Dayn cried out, then coughed violently. “W—wait!” he said. He
gripped the grass, panting with distress. “Just—just give me a
minute.”

“I think we’ll need to cut the boots off,”
Alicine said.

Haskel pulled out his knife. “I’ll do it.
Just hold him still.” He grasped the top of Dayn’s boot, then
slowly worked the blade of his knife down it. After a few inches,
he gently peeled back the leather, but stopped when he realized
Dayn’s blistered skin was adhered to it. He shook his head. “This
is goin’ to take more skill than we can offer here.”

Alicine bit her lip. “He’s going to need
treatment soon if we’re to avoid infection.”

Dayn struggled to his elbows. “Let’s go,
then,” he said, but then his eyes fell on Sheireadan standing a
short distance away. Dayn scowled. He could not help but feel
resentment toward the boy whose lies had helped send him to the
stake. “What’s
he
doing here?” he grumbled.

Haskel glanced at Sheireadan, who turned his
eyes away. No doubt he could feel the sting of Dayn’s glare.

“He was invited,” Haskel said.

“Invited?”

“Yes,” Alicine replied. “He saved your
life.”

“What?”

Brenainn stepped up beside them. “How’s the
lad doin’?” he asked, staring down at Dayn. He winced at the boots.
“Gor, that’s gotta hurt.”

Haskel rose. “We can’t do anythin’ for him
here. We’ll have to wait until we can get him to Eileis.”

“Hopefully tha’ won’t take long,” Brenainn
said.

“
If
the clans moved in the direction
Dayn told ‘em to, we should meet up with ‘em by nightfall.”

“If the clans moved in the direction Dayn
told ‘em to,” Brenainn added.

“They’d have been fools not to. The first
rumble of the mountain would’ve alerted ‘em. And that happened
hours ago.”

“Yer right,” Brenainn concurred. “They’ve
been preparin’ for the possibility of it fer weeks. Wouldn’t make
sense fer ‘em to ignore the signs.”

Peadar walked toward them, then stopped and
squatted next to Dayn. He grabbed Dayn’s hand. “How are ye feelin’,
lad?” he asked. “Ye well enough to travel?”

“Yes,” Dayn replied.

“Gather the men,” Haskel said to Peadar.
“I’ll get Dayn settled.”

Suddenly there was a commotion behind them.
The pounding of horse’s hooves could be heard in the distance,
galloping full speed in their direction. The clansmen pulled out
their weapons and planted their feet. They hadn’t gotten this far
to be stopped by a Kiradyn vigilante.

The rider appeared over the horizon of the
road and slowed his pace but did not stop. Whoever it was was
clearly not afraid of the well-armed clansmen standing in his path.
As the stranger drew nearer, Dayn realized that this was no
vigilante. “Jorge!” he cried with joy.

Jorge dismounted and rushed toward him.

“Thank god you’re all right!” the old man
said. He ran his eyes over Dayn, then settled them on the charred
boots. “Ye’ll be needin’ a new pair o’ boots I see.”

“I never liked these anyway.”

“Good thing.”

“We were just leavin’,” Haskel said. “We need
to make time while there’s still daylight.”

“Reckon it’s time I rejoined my clansmen.
Figured ye wouldn’t mind,” Jorge said. He tilted his head toward
Sheireadan, who was waiting by Brenainn’s horse. “Seein’ as you’re
takin’ in strays and all.”

Peadar smiled. “We’d be happy to have
ye.”

* * * *

They did not meet up with their kin by sunset
as they had hoped. At first they were concerned that the Aeries and
the clans that had stayed with them had not evacuated at all. But
they held out hope and camped for the night, determined to continue
in the agreed upon direction in the morning. At the rise of the sun
they headed out, and before long they came upon a rarely used
mountain road. It was rutted by horses’ hooves and wagon wheels—a
sure sign that they were on the right track. They hastened on, and
by late morning found the caravan within their sites.

Shouts of joy resonated down the line as word
spread of the approaching clansmen. Wagons stopped. Women rushed to
embrace their returning husbands. Children tugged at their father’s
pants legs, clambering to hear of their victory.

Vania hustled toward Haskel who was riding
toward her. Falyn was at her side, Dayn realized, and his heart
nearly leapt from his chest.

“Oh Dayn…Dayn,” Falyn cried upon reaching
them. She grabbed his leg, then leaned her forehead against it and
wept.

Dayn reached down and stroked her hair. “I’m
all right,” he said. “Just need to get these cursed boots off,
that’s all.”

Falyn looked at the boots and began to cry
even harder.

“Brought ye somethin’ that might cheer ye up
a bit, girl,” Brenainn said, approaching.

Falyn looked up to see Sheireadan walking at
Brenainn’s side. She flew into his arms. “You’re all right,” she
cried. Then she realized the somber expression on his face. “What
happened to—”

“See to Dayn first,” Sheireadan said quietly.
“He’s the one that needs you right now.” He turned and walked
away.

Haskel helped Dayn from the horse and lifted
him onto the bed of the wagon. “Where’s Eileis?” he asked Vania.
“The boy needs tendin’.”

“She’s at the front of the line. Morna’s gone
to fetch her.” She looked toward the reunion of clansmen and their
families, then stood on tiptoes, her eyes searching.

“Not to worry,” Haskel said to her. “Everyone
made it back. Even brought a couple o’ extras with us.”

Vania sighed with relief. “He found ye then,”
she said.

“Who?” Haskel asked.

“Reiv,” she replied.

“
Reiv
?” Dayn and Alicine cried. Dayn
struggled from the wagon bed and landed on his feet, but the pain
forced him to sit back down. He gripped the side, trying to regain
his breath.

Vania’s face grew worried. “He didn’t find ye
then?”

Alicine rushed toward her. “He was here?” she
asked anxiously. “Reiv was here?”

“Well, not
here
,” Vania said. “Eyan
found him in the forest this mornin’. Thought he was a demon.” She
laughed nervously. “Anyway, to make a long story short, we brought
him to the cabin and it was then that he learned about Dayn.”

“And?” Alicine pressed.

“Well, when he learned you and the others had
gone to fetch him, he tore out to help.”

Dayn gasped. “He—he went to Kiradyn?”

“We have to find him!” Alicine said. She
wheeled toward Haskel’s horse, but Haskel stopped her short. “Don’t
be a fool, girl,” he said. “Kiradyn’s gone.”

Dayn slid from the bed of the wagon and
hobbled a few steps toward him, biting back the pain in his feet.
“Just because the city’s gone doesn’t mean Reiv is!” he
insisted.

“Dayn,” Haskel said firmly. “Ye know as well
as I do that if the boy made it there, he didn’t make it out. If
the mob didn’t get him, the mountain did.”

“No!” Dayn shouted. “I refuse to believe it!
I’m going to find him, with or without your help.”

“So am I!” Alicine said.

Haskel nodded toward Brenainn who was
standing nearby. Brenainn walked up to Dayn and with a great lift
deposited him in the back of the wagon. “Yer uncle says ye’ll be
stayin’, so that’s what ye’ll be doin’.”

Alicine was tossed in next to her brother.
They opened their mouths to argue, but Haskel and Brenainn stood
their ground.

“Now you listen to me, the both of ye,”
Haskel said. He motioned to the mountain behind him. “Ye see
that?”

Dayn and Alicine turned their eyes
reluctantly toward it.

“That there’s the sister of the peak that’s
havin’ the temper fit. And if one siblin’s riled, the one next to
it’s probably riled, too.” He glanced between the two of them.

“Now as ye well know, right as we hightailed
it out of Kiradyn, the mountain sent a cloud movin’ straight for
it. We escaped only because we had a moment’s head start. If Reiv
arrived in the city, he arrived after we left. Otherwise we
would’ve seen him. And if he didn’t arrive, then he was still on
the road headin’ in that direction. Either way, there’s no way the
boy escaped.”

Alicine buried her face in her hands.

“I’m sorry,” Haskel said. “But there’s
nothin’ you or anyone else can do for him.”

Morna hurried toward them. “Eileis will be
here shortly,” she said. She stepped toward Dayn and gave him a
grateful hug.

Dayn turned his face away. “Let’s just go,”
he said bitterly.

Vania climbed into the driver’s seat of the
wagon. "Come, Morna," she said softly, and Morna settled in beside
her. Falyn, who had already slipped into the back, wrapped her arms
around Dayn. Haskel mounted his horse and positioned himself behind
the wagon, no doubt to prevent Dayn and Alicine from trying
anything foolish. Sheireadan, however, was nowhere to be seen. And
neither was Eyan.

“Where’s Eyan?” Dayn asked, realizing he had
not yet seen him.

“Oh, he’s here…somewhere,” Vania said,
looking around. “Don’t worry.” She flicked the reins.

Dayn and Alicine swayed in their misery as
the wagon lurched forward. Falyn leaned her head on Dayn’s
shoulder. “I’m sorry for all that’s happened, Dayn,” she said
sadly. “I’m to blame for most of it, especially Reiv.”

“What do you mean, especially Reiv?” Alicine
asked.

Falyn lowered her eyes. “Vania didn’t want
him to go to Kiradyn. She wouldn’t tell him how to get there. So I
did.”

Alicine scrambled to her knees. For a moment
it looked as though she were going to strike the girl. “You told
him how to get there? How could you be so…so—
stupid
!”

Falyn’s eyes flashed. “I did it because I
love Dayn!”

“And I love Reiv!” Alicine shot back.

Alicine looked at Dayn guiltily. “I love you,
too,” she said. “You know that.” She huddled next to him and wept
into his shirt.

Dayn reached for his sister’s hand and gave
it a squeeze. He hated seeing her cry, but seeing her do so now
made him want to weep with her. He turned his eyes to Kiradyn,
grieving for Reiv and for the role he himself had played in leading
him there. But then his heart filled with determination. He wrapped
his arm around Alicine.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll find him. No
matter how long it takes, no matter how far I have to go. I promise
you. I
will
find him.”

Back to ToC

The Saga
Continues…

Look for

The Shifting of the
Stars

Book Four of the Souls of
Aredyrah Series

Coming Soon!

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Glossary

Aeries (AIR-eez)—
Clan located in the
southeastern region of Kirador along the mountain range. Clan color
is green. Chieftain is Peadar.

Aredyrah (Air-uh-DEER-uh)—
An ancient
island world, divided by mysticism and a forbidden range of
volcanic mountains.

Agneis (AG-nee-us)—
Goddess of Purity.
Supreme deity of Tearian culture.

Alicine (AL-uh-seen)—
of the Aerie
clan. Daughter of Gorman and Morna of the Aerie clan. Sister of
Dayn.

Basyls (BAZZ-uls)—
Rugged clan located
in the northeastern region of Kirador along the mountain range.
Clan colors are red and brown. Chieftain is Brenainn.

Ben—
of the Aerie clan; Seela’s son;
adopted son of Nort.

Brenainn (BREN-un)—
Chieftain of the
Basyl clan.

Brina (BREE-nuh)—
Tearian. Sister of
Queen Isola. Birth mother of Dayn. Maternal aunt of

Ruairi (Reiv) and Whyn
. Widowed wife
of Mahon who was the Commander of the Tearian Guard.

Cinnia (SIN-ee-uh)—
Tearian. Deceased.
Former queen and wife of Whyn.

Cora (KOR-uh)—
Shell Seeker; young
woman who befriends Reiv.

Crests (KRESTS)—
Clan located in the
northwestern coastal region of Kirador. Clan color is blue.
Chieftain is Ionhar.

Crymm (KRIM)—
Tearian. Deceased. Former
bodyguard to Ruairi.

Daghadar (DAG-huh-dar)—
Also called the
Maker. The one true God of the people of Kirador.

Dayn (DANE)—
of the Aerie clan; also
Tearian and Jecta. Adopted son of Gorman and Morna of the Aerie
Clan of Kirador. Brother of Alicine. Only child of Brina and Mahon
of Tearia. Cousin of Reiv and Whyn. Believed by some in Tearia to
be “The Light” of the first Prophecy.

Eben (EH-ben)—
Jecta. Deceased.
Childhood friend of Jensa and Torin. Former husband of Mya. Father
of Farris, Nely, and Gem.

Eileis (EYE-luss)—
Kiradyn. The Spirit
Keeper (healer and spiritual guide) of Kirador.

Eyan (EE-yun)—
of the Aerie clan. Son
of Haskel and Vania.

Falyn (FAL-un)—
Kiradyn. Daughter of
Lorcan. Sister of Sheireadan.

Farris (FARE-iss)—
Jecta. Son of Mya
and Eben; brother of Nely and Gem.